Executive functions in 7-year-old children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder compared with controls: The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study—VIA 7, a population-based cohort study

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Katrine Søborg Spang
  • Ditte Ellersgaard
  • Nicoline Hemager
  • Camilla Jerlang Christiani
  • Birgitte Klee Burton
  • Aja Neergaard Greve
  • Ditte Gantriis
  • Jessica Ohland
  • Marianne Giørtz Pedersen
  • Ole Mors
  • Nordentoft, Merete
  • Kerstin J. Plessen
  • Carsten Obel
  • Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
  • Thorup, Anne Amalie Elgaard

Cognitive impairments are strongly associated with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) with executive functions (EF) impairments as a likely key feature. Studies of everyday behavior rated EF in young children at familial high risk of SZ (FHR-SZ) are scarce and, to our knowledge, non-existent in young children at familial high risk of BP (FHR-BP). We aimed to compare everyday behavior-rated EF of FHR-SZ, FHR-BP, and control children. A nationwide population-based cohort of 522 7-year-old children with parents diagnosed with either SZ (N = 202) or BP (N = 120) and matched controls (N = 200) were recruited using the Danish national registries. The children’s EF were assessed with the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions questionnaire rated by primary caregivers and teachers. According to primary caregiver assessments, FHR-SZ children displayed widespread EF impairments and had an odds ratio of 3.7 (2.0–6.9) of having clinically significant global EF impairments compared to controls. FHR-BP children were most severely impaired regarding EF related to emotional control and had an odds ratio of 2.5 (1.2–5.1) of clinically significant global EF impairments compared to controls. Teacher assessments were overall comparable to primary caregiver assessments but teachers rated more difficulties in the FHR-SZ group than primary caregivers. Already at age 7, children with a parental history of SZ or BP displayed significant impairments of EF in everyday-life situations. FHR-SZ children displayed widespread significant impairments of EF, whereas FHR-BP children were most severely impaired on emotional control. Clinicians should be aware of potential EF impairments in FHR children.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftEuropean Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Vol/bind30
Udgave nummer12
Sider (fra-til)1871-1884
Antal sider14
ISSN1018-8827
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by TrygFonden, the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Aarhus University, and the Beatrice Surovell Haskell Fund for Child Mental Health Research of Copenhagen. Acknowledgements

Funding Information:
This work was supported by TrygFonden, the Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH), Aarhus University, and the Beatrice Surovell Haskell Fund for Child Mental Health Research of Copenhagen. The authors extend their gratitude to all the families for their will to participate and to generously lent us their time and effort. The authors would also like to express their gratitude to M. Skjærbæk, A. Søndergaard, M. Gregersen, A. Ranning, H. Jensen, C. Gregersen, D-M. Henriksen, H. Stadsgaard, K. Zahle, and M. Melau for contributing to data collection; to C. Bøcker Pedersen for assistance in retrieving the register extract; to M. Chaine for help with data management; to P.B. Mortensen T. Werge, D. Hougaard, and A. Børglum for collaboration in iPSYCH. The authors have no conflict of interest.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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